Scrapping off a little bit of the skeg is not a big deal. You can
"loose" 20 to 30% of the skeg without really any effects on handling or
performance. Just file or sand the rough edges, paint it and continue
enjoying the boat.

However if you feel vibration, you may have bent the prop or the prop
shaft. Are you sure that your did not scrape the prop against the
sidewalk when you had the incident? If you did, there would be easily
visible marks on the prop. If the prop did touch the ground, check if
the prop shaft or the prop itself are not bent. If you are using the
stock aluminum prop, they are pretty soft and can be bent quite easily.
An bent prop or shaft will eventually damage the bearing and the gears
- an expensive fix.

So if there is evidence that you scrapped the prop against the
sidewalk, take it to a mechanic have it checked.



Mr Wizzard wrote:
Another stupid user trick: first outing of the season, pulled
the boat out of the driveway, and when she went accross
the sidewalk, 'sca-rapeeee' - lower fin hit the sidewalk,
and scraped all the way accross the width of the sidewalk.

Q: how critical is the back edge/bottom of this lower fin?
It didn't take chunks out of it or anything, just took some
metal off of the bottom, and the back edge just as it start
to slope up. I'm wondering if I can just re-round that edge
with a file - its kinds got a rough square edge on it now.

Also, and when I took it out for the first time, I noticed
some vibration when in gear and when going real slow
(engine at 1750-1800 RPM), and wondering if I did
something. I kinda doubt in since it seems to run fine.
I ran it for 2 hours - full speed, 45 Mph, first outing
excitement, high-excitement, second year with new boat
and all seems fine, and fun, etc.. But..., like I said,
when I slowed down, I "did" notice this semi-vibrating
at 1600-1800 RPM, and its hard to tell if its engine, or
U-joints, or just normal exhaust bubbles/resonance etc.
Could I have done somehting to the drive unit by draging
the fin accross the sidewalk? Is the rough square edge
causing this at low RPM? And/or is there some annual
maintenance item of greesing the Ujoints that I was
susposed to do? 1.5 year old boat, can't emagine that
I need to lube the Ujoints so I? How do I get to them?

Thanks!, little worried (semi-brand new boat and all).
But like I said, first time out this year, so maybe noramal
stuff that I forgot about over the winter.